The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-09-16
Farmers and the Fall Elections.

Urite for this Department.
Farmers and the Fall Elections.
From the American Farmer.
As the fall elections are near at hand
it has occurred to me that few words
in regard to them may not be out OF
place in your paper l am we'll aware
that you are careful to abstain from po.
litical discussions, and il is, far from my
object to induce departure from your
custom. 1t is certainly no part of your
duty to champion the cause of either
party, and you might err in even show
ing preference; but as an agricultural
journal, published in the interest OF
the farming community, l conceive it to
be not only your privilege, but clearly
your duty, to direct the attention of
your numerous readers to the important
bearing these elections have upon our
interests.
This important subject is too much
neglected. We constantly hear COM
plants in regard to the oppressiveness
Of our laws. Farmers complain, and
Justly, that the landed industry of our
country is made to bear more than its
share of the expense of maintaining our
government. The inequality of taxa
tion is dwelt upon with great earnest
ness, and yet the persons who talk most
about this great injustice are the last
ones to discover remedy, or at least to
apply it. They act as if there was no
remedy, when it is within easy reach.
We are about to fill the important
Offices throughout our state. The cit
izens of each county will soon choose
persons to manage their affairs at home,
and to represent them at Annapolis; !;
and in the selection of these persons
consists the key to the whole matter.
If we are Indifferent in regard to the
selection of our lawmakers, how can we
expect to have proper laws? If the
taxpayers allow the politicians to name
the men who compose our Legislature,
what right have they to grumble at the
result Of the work done? Ii we do not
attend to our own business, who will
do it for us? The politicians will not
they are looking out for themselves,
and are ever alert to advance their own
interests, which are generally at var
lance with ours, and they generally sue
ceed. They have brought the political
machinery to such perfection that they
are enabled to designate with almost
unerring certainty the men who are to
be nominated, long before their credu-
lous dupes are notified to assemble at
the various voting places, ostensibly to
choose the nominees, but in reality to
ratify the commands of the bosses.
And what are we to expect from men
thus selected? They may grant us such
favors as are not inconsistent with the
course mapped out for them, but when
confronted with questions involving a
conflict between their political bosses,
backed up by the individual and COR
porate wealth of the state on the one
hand, and the inactive and unorganlzed
farmers on the other, they will not long
hesitate in coming to a conclusion.
Now we have our remedy, and 1t Is
simply to elect proper men to represent
us; and the first and most important
step towards accomplishing this, is to
see that proper men are nominated.
Without nomination there can be no
election, and our present method OF
nominating candidates is the most COM
plete farce imaginable. The leaders.
relying upon the tenacity with which
voters cling to the antiquated and ab-
surd tenet Of sticking to your party
concern themselves only about getting
the men of their choice nominated,
secure in the belief that party tealty
will insure their election.
There never was a more mischlevous
maxim advanced than this of ''stlcklng
to the old party" at least as practlced
at the present time. 1t may have serv'
ed a good purpose in years long passed
Formerly these primaries may have at,
forded the people an opportunity OF vot-
ing for men of their own selection, but
if SO, it was before my day. Ii each
party would get the names OF their men
on the tickets, we would hear little SAID
about sticking to the party" because
there would be no inducements to ao'
stick, but under our present method Of
making nominations this is impossible
and we are compelled either to adop
some other system, or vote for inethc-
lent and unsuitable persons, or commit
that objectionable sin of splitting the
ticket" and even this latter will no
suffice to get what we want, as 1t woulC
require about dozen average tickets
from which to select in order to get one
good one.
1t is this "clinging to the old party
that has checked the advance of every
contemplated improvement. Men viii
talk about and work for some pc
scheme with great earnestness and zeal
and will spend time and money for it
,, advancement; but just as soon as an op
portunity is presented of accomplishin